How should education settings identify special educational needs?
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 (CoP) states that mainstream nurseries, schools and colleges must make their best efforts to identify special educational needs as soon as they can and put in place effective provision to meet these needs, to improve the long-term learning outcomes for children and young people.
Education settings should record when they identify a child has special educational needs and inform parents that they are providing special educational provision to their child.
Useful links
What is a Special Educational Needs Coordinator ?
All mainstream education providers must ensure that they have a person qualified to act as the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
The SENCO must be a qualified teacher and either have achieved or be working towards achieving the National Award for SEN Coordinators.
The SENCO should provide parents and carers with clear information about the extra help their child is getting. They have a duty to keep a record of the support a child receives and the progress they are making.
The role of the SENCO: what do you need to know? – Special Needs Jungle
What is a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo)? | Twinkl Teaching
What should nurseries, schools and colleges do to support children or young people with special educational needs?
Mainstream nurseries, schools and colleges have a best endeavours duty to make reasonable adjustments to support pupils. This is stated in Section 66 of the Children and Families Act 2014. The duty to use their best endeavours does not apply to special schools or independent schools.
All education settings have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to provide support for a child or young person’s special educational needs.
Reasonable adjustments can include:
- visual aids and prompts,
- extra time
- providing technological support such as laptops, reading pens and iPads
- pre-teaching or over learning
- working within a small group or targeted small group teaching.
The ‘best endeavours’ duty | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice
The best endeavours duty requires schools to seek specialist advice when needed. This can include contacting specialists such as a speech and language or an occupational therapist.
North Yorkshire Council have SEND Hubs across the county. These Hubs have specialist staff who cover the 4 main areas of learning –
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social Emotional and Mental Health
- Sensory and physical needs
Mainstream education settings such as nurseries, schools and academies as well as colleges in North Yorkshire can make referrals to the SEND Hub for specialist advice.
In addition, if a child or young person who lives in North Yorkshire attends an education setting that is geographically outside of the local authority’s boundaries, that setting can also make a referral to the SEND Hub.
SEND hubs | North Yorkshire Council
SEND hubs | CYPSinfo (northyorks.gov.uk)
See our Useful Links section to find further information.
What is the graduated approach?
Nurseries, schools and colleges should use a graduated approach when planning support for a pupil. This is a four part cycle and can be repeated by the setting as often as is needed to support the child or young person to make progress. This means the education setting should:
- Assess – Identify the child or young person’s needs
- Plan – Decide what extra help or support the child or young person needs
- Do – Provide the extra help they have identified
- Review – Check to see if the extra help and support is working and change it if needed
What is a SEN support plan?
When a child or young person is receiving SEN support, the school should draw up a SEN support plan with you and your child/young person. This should focus on the outcomes your child/young person needs and wants to achieve and explain how the school will help them to work towards achieving these.
SEN support plans often have different names in schools. They can include My Plan, One Plan, Individual Education Plan (IEP), Pupil Support Plan, a Provision Map etc.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) support | North Yorkshire Council
SEN Support | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice
About Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) | North Yorkshire Council
Special Educational Needs (SEN) support | North Yorkshire Council
SEN Support | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice
See our Where can I find out more about SEND Support section to find further information
How should school work with me to support my child/young person with SEND?
All mainstream nurseries, schools, academies and colleges work with parents to support children with special educational needs.
Nurseries – must involve parents with decisions around special educational provision. (5.37 SEND Code of Practice 2015)
Schools – should meet with parents at least three times a year to discuss the pupil’s SEN and provide an annual report on their child/young person’s progress (6.64/6.65 SEND Code of Practice 2015)
Colleges – should involve the student and (particularly where the student is aged 16-18) their parents in decisions around the support they receive for their SEN.(8.13/8.17 SEND Code of Practice 2015)
See our Where can I find out more about SEND Support section to find further information.
What can I do if I am worried my child/young person is not getting the support they need in nursery/school or college?
If you are worried that your child/young person is not getting the help they need in nursery, school or college you may want to arrange to talk with the setting. This could include speaking with your child/young person’s teacher or keyworker, the SENCO, or the Headteacher or Principal. The leaflets and links below may help you to prepare for a meeting with the education setting.
If after speaking with school/college, you are still unhappy about the support your child/young person is getting please visit our section I am not happy with a decision.
See our Where can I find out more about SEND Support section to find further information.